Ping,
Let's face it, Justin Barcia is a d*****. Check that, a D***** Supreme. I, among tens of thousands of other SX/ MX fans (maybe you too Ping), loved the adolescent take-out Bam Bam, slamma jamma, A-Hole riding that put him on the map. Not anymore. His return to SX after injury is embarrassing. His line selection, decisions and horrendous answers for such are simply a joke. I always thought that at this point in his career he would have won more races and quite possibly a title in the Premier Class. His p*** moves just over the last year are so puzzling to me. I'm going to cue up the Hansen Brothers in the Movie Slapshot. Ok, my question...........Why does such a talented, blazing fast past winner come out swinging like this in 2017 when rides are so hard to come by?
Jim
Jim,
The internet gives us all a big boost of confidence when it comes to confrontation and name-calling. I get that. I understand that as a fan of the sport you certainly have a right to root for your guy and boo and trash talk the guys you don’t like. I get it. But do you think Barcia is happy with the way things have gone for him? He knows he is capable of winning races and that probably makes the whole situation that much worse. He knows JGR has expected him to win since they signed him and he flat out has not delivered. I’m bummed out too that he hasn’t been able to get himself up in the mix at the front of the pack but for you, a guy who probably never made it out of the novice class, to belittle him for his sub-par season is laughable. I wish Justin could show up to your office and make fun of the shitty job you did filing your paperwork or filling out your TPS reports or whatever else you get paid to do. Except nobody cares about what you do, Jim. So maybe, just maybe, you can cut Justin a little slack and concede that while he may not be riding to his full potential he is making a very good living doing something that you are simply incapable of doing.
PING
Good afternoon Sir,
I have a question that I feel can best be addressed by a person who possesses an incredible amount of knowledge and industry insight; someone “in the know,” if you will. Since it is difficult to get in contact with someone of this stature I decided to write you. It seems like this year we have been seeing and hearing about the condition of the Supercross tracks “breaking down” more often than usual. Soft spots between rhythm sections, grooves wearing all the way down to the base layer, deeper ruts/kickers forming very quickly and other issues have been common conversation. Maybe it is just my misperception, but I feel like unordinary track issues are being mentioned weekly. I might be able to write it off as their new “phrase of the season” if it were only during the television broadcast, but I have seen and heard these discussions in many different forms of media. I was hoping that you might have some insight as to what may be going on (or at least maybe make something up that sounds good because I probably won’t know the difference). I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter!
Respectfully from Texas,
LC Foethree
LC,
Oooh, d*** move in the opener. I like it. Touche. This isn’t rocket science and if you had spent as much time using basic deductive reasoning to find an answer as you did crafting that verbally aggressive kick to the nuts we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
California had an incredibly wet winter which, when combined with open stadiums, leads to very soft, rutted conditions with kickers on the lips of jumps. On top of that the main events are going as many as 27 laps for the 450 guys and 20 for the 250 class. Those extra laps, combined with the extra laps in the heats and semis, result in a very rough and chewed up circuit. Add to all that the lack of dirt in many of the stadiums this year and you can understand why riders are getting down to the concrete in some of the turns. Thanks for writing in!
Respectfully,
PING
Ping,
Would it be too much to ask the OEMs for an entry-level full-sized motocross bike that could be had for 5K out the door? Some of us have realized we are no longer getting better on a bike and just want an affordable machine to play around on at the local track and in the woods/desert. A steel frame, second-rate suspension/conventional forks, quiet exhaust and a low compression 150cc two-stroke would be just fine for a casual rider seeking pleasure and exercise. Reduced horsepower would put less strain on a less expensive frame and suspension components. This could be a boon for local dealers as well who need to sell more bikes/parts/lubes/gear. Also, 5K would be within reach of many teenagers and young adults of limited means.
What do you think?
-Thanks
?,
I’ve been preaching this to the manufacturers media representatives for years. Some of the issue is the cost of tooling up for something like this. For example, Yamaha would spend more to create a steel frame than if they just used the current aluminum frame they have for their YZ125/250. However, why not get rid of the expensive bars, Dunlop tires, titanium footpegs, Excel rims, gold chain, etc and cut corners where it wouldn’t really affect the average consumer? Even if you could knock off $1500 from the current MSRP you would probably move a metric crap ton of those things.
You think a weekend warrior is going to care that his bike comes with a Cheng Shin tire instead of a Dunlop MX3S? I doubt it. I wouldn’t care. Or what about having an entry-level, 175cc two-stroke with all the same components it has now, but manufactured in China? Yamaha is already making their TTR line, and many other models, outside of Japan at a fraction of the cost. And every manufacturer does the same thing. When you have a workforce willing to turn wrenches 18 hours per day for very little pay, the net profits tend to go skyward. Pass that monetary boon onto the customer and everybody is happy. Those affordable entry-level bikes intrigue the next generation of racers who then step up to the sexier four-stroke models at $10,000 a pop and we have a healthy sport at the grass roots level once again. Or, we can just ride out the current trend of bikes getting faster and faster and more and more expensive. I don’t like where that road takes us.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Email him at ping@racerxonline.com.
